&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Van Allen probe A returns: How solar maximum caused it to crash years ahead of schedule")
Van Allen Probe A is tumbling down and will soon crash somewhere on Earth, although the expectation is that most of the satellite will burn up in the atmosphere, and the fragments will fall into the ocean. The probe was supposed to stay in orbit for another eight years at least. So, what prompted its early re-entry? The answer lies in its orbit. Van Allen Probe A and its twin satellite B were launched in 2012 to study a zone that protects Earth from the sun's radiation. The first layers that protect Earth are the Van Allen Belts, named after American physicist James Van Allen, who discovered them in 1958. They form an invisible shield around Earth and are our first line of defence. This region is shaped like a doughnut and comprises protons and electrons trapped by Earth's magnetic field. They remain at altitudes varying from a few hundred to nearly 96,000 kilometres above the surface. The Van Allen probes had one purpose - to study this area above Earth.
Why understanding the Van Allen belt is important
If humans want to return to the Moon and travel beyond, they will have to cross this dangerous region. This is why it was important to study it, and so the Van Allen probes set out on their mission. This region is unlike the low-Earth orbit where most of our satellites are. Since these belts form a shield, trapping and deflecting cosmic radiation, any spacecraft here endures extreme damage. When the Sun is at its maximum and unleashes plasma and coronal mass ejections, the belts swell, affecting satellites and communication systems. The probes were on a two-year mission, which eventually extended to seven. In 2019, the probes stopped functioning. NASA estimated that they will drag down on their own in the next few years, with Van Allen Probe A given time till 2034. However, since the sun has been extremely active in the past few years, the timeline changed.
How the sun led Van Allen probe A to return six years early
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Solar maximum inflated Earth's upper atmosphere, causing more drag on satellites. Van Allen Probe A's orbit started decaying and this meant it would crash down much earlier than anticipated. The 600-kilogram spacecraft was expected to return by the evening of March 10, with NASA saying the window could extend by up to 24 hours. Can it cause any destruction on Earth? Experts say the chances of the satellite harming anyone are roughly 1 in 4,200. The odds of the debris and remaining fragments falling into the ocean are much higher since Earth is mostly covered with water. Meanwhile, Van Allen Probe B, which was given time till 2030, might also follow its twin in the coming months.
